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Awesome little slice of Italy in the Mission. You have to take a number and wait a bit before getting your turn at the counter, but it's definitely worth the trouble. Go for their fresh made...
Awesome little slice of Italy in the Mission. You have to take a number and wait a bit before getting your turn at the counter, but it's definitely worth the trouble. Go for their fresh made raviolis and pastas, fresh pesto and salads, and dozens of different types of deli meats like prosciutto or Spanish ham, etc. The shelves are full of interesting Italian imports like wine, sardines, olives, tubes of tomato paste, biscotti. I love browsing here and this is the perfect place to get picnic materials before heading out to Dolores Park. Only downside is that the deli items can get expensive.
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Peruvian food is one of my favorite cuisines and I've managed to eat at almost every Peruvian restaurant in the city- but somehow Karamanduka slipped under the radar. We found this place on a...
Peruvian food is one of my favorite cuisines and I've managed to eat at almost every Peruvian restaurant in the city- but somehow Karamanduka slipped under the radar. We found this place on a fluke when when absolutely every other restaurant in SF was booked on New Years Eve. The host was gracious and welcomed our large group at the last minute. Our waiter was super friendly and the food was just as amazing. A must try is the trio of ceviches. Not sure which ones we ordered because we went on recs from our waiter, but all were amazingly delicious, especially the warmed ceviche. Very good version of lomo saltado as well. Don't miss out on desserts- we tried a few of them and loved them all, especially the rice pudding.
it's sad that this restaurant seems to be overlooked because it's truly a gem in a neighborhood with not that many great restaurant choices. Apparently their brunch is supposed to be fabulous, so can't wait to go back and try.
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Great location inside the new Westfield Mall, and very spacious facilities. Get here early for your spa treatment or plan to stay late so you can take advantage of all the amenities- large jacuzzi,...
Great location inside the new Westfield Mall, and very spacious facilities. Get here early for your spa treatment or plan to stay late so you can take advantage of all the amenities- large jacuzzi, steam room/sauna/quiet room, fully stocked showers, and make up area with Pureology hair products. Along with cucumber water, hot tea, and fruit to keep you full and refreshed.
I went here on a Saturday and it was understandably busy, which unfortunately meant that the common areas were over crowded and atmosphere was less relaxing than I hoped. I had a swedish massage which again, not very relaxing since the face rest was so hard it actually was hurting me while I was lying face down. The massage itself was also just okay. I will chalk it up to the fact that it was the massage therapist's second day on the job.
Facilities really are fabulous though, it's definitely an upscale atmosphere and a nice splurge on oneself. I would try to go on a weekday though, when they're likely less busy.
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Great location inside the new Westfield Mall, and very spacious facilities. Get here early for your spa treatment or plan to stay late so you can take advantage of all the amenities- large jacuzzi,...
Great location inside the new Westfield Mall, and very spacious facilities. Get here early for your spa treatment or plan to stay late so you can take advantage of all the amenities- large jacuzzi, steam room/sauna/quiet room, fully stocked showers, and make up area with Pureology hair products. Along with cucumber water, hot tea, and fruit to keep you full and refreshed.
I went here on a Saturday and it was understandably busy, which unfortunately meant that the common areas were over crowded and atmosphere was less relaxing than I hoped. I had a swedish massage which again, not very relaxing since the face rest was so hard it actually was hurting me while I was lying face down. The massage itself was also just okay. I will chalk it up to the fact that it was the massage therapist's second day on the job.
Facilities really are fabulous though, it's definitely an upscale atmosphere and a nice splurge on oneself. I would try to go on a weekday though, when they're likely less busy.
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Circa
Category:
Food & Dining
2001 Chestnut Street
San Francisco, California 94101
(415) 351-0175
This review is just for the bar at Circa, not the restaurant. Circa is smack in the middle of the Marina district on Chestnut Street. My friends and I were in line outside the restaurant for ID...
This review is just for the bar at Circa, not the restaurant. Circa is smack in the middle of the Marina district on Chestnut Street. My friends and I were in line outside the restaurant for ID check and when a crowd of kids promptly cut in front of us, I knew this was going to be a bad night. So high school, isn't it. I'm not sure why I was expecting more from this place, but the crowd was pure Marina with that overgrown frat boy/cheerleader vibe. After finding our group, we couldn't wait to get out of there. This was unfortunate since the interior is pretty neat, very dark, sleek, and modern.
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I've mixed feelings about my first visit to Tablespoon.
I went here for Dine About Town, 3 courses for $31.99. From the DAT menu, we had the beet salad, seared cod in lobster broth, and fudge...
I've mixed feelings about my first visit to Tablespoon.
I went here for Dine About Town, 3 courses for $31.99. From the DAT menu, we had the beet salad, seared cod in lobster broth, and fudge cake. The salad was delicious- two types of beets, mixed greens and dotted with goat cheese. The seared cod wasn't anything special and the broth didn't a whole lot of flavor. Also wasn't horribly impressed by the dessert, which had an odd consistency.
My friends and I also shared the hanger steak, which was perfectly cooked medium rare and delicious. Also tried the oysters, entrรฉe sized mac & cheese, and carrot cake. The mac & cheese was easily the best meal of the night with a perfect mix of tangy cheese and crunchiness of the smoked bacon. The carrot cake was odd- the frosting had no taste whatsoever, sort of like eating layers of butter or crisco.
Service was great for the most part, but since we were late for our reservation, it felt like we were being rushed through our entire meal. The host asked us to order immediately, dishes were asked to be taken away before we were finished, and the waitress approached us three times in about five minutes for our decision on dessert. I understand that we were late, but we did pay the same as everyone else (and not cheap either) and it sucked to have our night somewhat marred by this.
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Mandalay
Category:
Restaurants
4344 California St
San Francisco, California 94118
(415) 386-3896
For those who are fascinated by Burmese food and are tired of the two hour wait for a table at Burma Superstar, you must try Mandalay! Dare I say that I actually enjoyed Mandalay more? Though I've...
For those who are fascinated by Burmese food and are tired of the two hour wait for a table at Burma Superstar, you must try Mandalay! Dare I say that I actually enjoyed Mandalay more? Though I've never been to Burma, the flavors tasted more authentic here than at Burma Superstar. My favorite dish by far was the Burmese beef curry, which is similar to the Malaysian rendang- a dry curry with chunks of stewed beef. This version had potatoes as well and the flavors were amazing. If only the portion size was larger. The tea leaf salad had a nice mix of sourness and crunch to it.
I will definitely be back to try the fish chowder, rainbow salad, and samusas.
Very friendly and accommodating staff as well.
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If only I could afford this place! I was able to check out Equinox using a pass for one week free. It's centrally located in the Financial District, and has everything you could want in a gym. ...
If only I could afford this place! I was able to check out Equinox using a pass for one week free. It's centrally located in the Financial District, and has everything you could want in a gym. All new cardio machines, a lap pool, sauna and steam room, fully stocked shower facilities, glass enclosed exercise class area, free weights, etc. There's even a juice bar and a day spa! And towel service is a nice perk as well. The entire place is super clean, with a staff that is consistently on top of things.
The only downfall is how expensive it is to join. Usually there's a $400 initiation fee and a flat rate of $125 a month. Even with the $0 initiation fee special they were having last week, this is still a bit much. It's also weird how they are closed on Sundays, which is a bit inconvenient. Three are also only 3 locations in the Bay Area, all of which are located in the downtown SF area. Looks like it's back to 24 Hour Fitness for me.
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I'd always avoided the Grocery Outlet in the past because I'd always imagined the store to be filled with generic canned goods and expired foods. What a surprise when I stepped in there last month!...
I'd always avoided the Grocery Outlet in the past because I'd always imagined the store to be filled with generic canned goods and expired foods. What a surprise when I stepped in there last month! Yes, there are some expired goods (or soon to be expired- check the labels), but there are also some amazing finds.
I found organic pomegrante juice for only $1.25 a bottle, cheeses at way cheaper than Trader Joes, Bare Naked organic oatmeal, Odwalla orange juice, highly discounted bottles of wine, Lindt dark chocolate, etc. The best deal may come from the health and beauty section, where you can find salon quality and organic/natural hair products for dirt cheap.
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Sai Jai Thai is great- in my opinion, one of the only more authentic Thai restaurants in the city. Definitely worth the trek to a somewhat sketchy neighborhood (centrally located in the...
Sai Jai Thai is great- in my opinion, one of the only more authentic Thai restaurants in the city. Definitely worth the trek to a somewhat sketchy neighborhood (centrally located in the Tenderloin).
Anyone that's been through the backpacker scene in Bangkok knows of the banana pancake sold on the streets- a flat bread (roti) cooked on the griddle, filled with sliced bananas and topped with condensed milk. Yum. Very rarely do you see this on the menu, but they do a great version of it here. Other notable items are the signature pork shoulder, whole fried fish with the wonderful dipping sauce, papaya salad, and mieng come (appetizer of shredded coconut, peanuts, lime, etc. wrapped up in a laloop leaf).
Some unusual and interesting items on the menu, and everything we tried was just delicious.
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